The Patriots traded up for the first time in this 2023 NFL Draft, moving up from #120 overall to #112 and selecting a kicker with their second pick of the afternoon.
University of Maryland’s Chad Ryland was the player they selected, giving them a potential kicker of the future behind steady veteran, Nick Folk.
Ryland’s a solid player. He finished his final senior season hitting 19-of-23 (82.6%), including a perfect 9-9 from inside 40-yards, and ended the year with his percentage setting the school mark for players with 20+ attempts.
He’s also got a strong leg. He hit multiple 50+ field goals last season, including two big ones against Michigan (53, and 52-yards), and a career-long 55-yarder which tied another school record.
Ryland also previously played three years at Eastern Michigan, where he finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
More importantly, he also appears to be a fairly clutch player. Watching some of his film, he hit multiple game-winners over the course of his career, and made each one look relatively easy.
He’s also pretty accurate. The vast majority of his kicks were right down the middle, with none of his long attempts eeking just inside the uprights. He’s also really fluid and he makes each kick look effortless.
As a result, he certainly appears to be a solid addition for a position that, as we know, is an important one here in New England.
Here’s a look at his highlights:
And here’s an updated look at the full list of 2023 Patriots Draft picks.
Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants
We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.
Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"
Add as a preferred source on Google News
Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
